San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-04-25


! cheap Geneva toy she had worn as a girl
and looked, signing. at the time. 81 am
| afraid / must leave yon for the present.
L"
/ "Stay a moment Sbylr' The old wO-
man Logan to treinlr more and more.
and her sallow face 10 barn with a sud
den flush. What would you LAY il told
you that-that it is not u supP0sititious
/ casef
II should he compelled uuhappily TO
disbelieve your ladyship's statement"
"Not if swore To You that l am speak
ing the truth"
Mrs. Breton looked at her with cold
curiosity.
"Sibyl, l am an old woman, old and
proud, and little used to stoop; hut will
go down upon my knees"-she did indeed
rise from her seat and fall stiffiy at Sibyrs
feet-"and will confess TO you that Mark
Breton has never known Of your early
love for Percival"
"Grandmotherw Involutarily did Mrs.
Breton draw back from the trembling
clutch that held her.
"Yes, am your grandmother, child
your mothers mother; and you will not
be hard upon met l burned the letters,
my dear; he never saw them-he knows
nothing Of them to this day; and you
you have treated him worse than a dog
for what was my fault and not hisw
as this truef" Sibyl asked, with
blanched lips.
81 swear TO you that il isr The old
woman still chung to her gown, and tried
10 take her hand in hers. "Amaranth
knows. And now, Sibyl"-bursting into
tears-"you will not harden your heart
against us alli You will not bring dis
grace upon your own home and on your
childf You-you will send Percival
awayT
The girl stood like one in dream. A
great and unavailing horror was dawning
in her eyes.
"Mark," che cried with wall, "and
Mab-little Queenie! Oh, what have I
donef What have you all done between
youf"
Mechanically she helped the old wo-
man from the floor, and put her back into
her chair. She began to fasten the cloak
which had fallen from her own shoulders.
"Where are you going2" cried the
Countess, clutching at her arm; but Sibyl
broke from her and ran out of the room.
1t was near the hour when she had
promised to meet Percival. She went out
into the snowy park and began to walk
blindly towards their TRUSTING place-the
stile where they had stopped to rest on
the day when he had first told her he
must go away.
The winter afternoon was closing in
Beyond the black holes of the trees and
all the snow clad landscape, she could see
the red horizon where the sun was going
down. A great dark branch of distant
oak was stretched across it and across
her path like warning arm. She thought
that it was like a great fire in the west,
and that she was walking straight into it.
She did not feel the cold, though her
hands were ungloved and numb. She
went on and on, crushing the frozen snow
under her feet and dragging her long
cloak after her.
How long the way seemed! The black
warning arm was still stretched out across
the lurid sky, the wind blew keen and
cutting on her feeble frame. but she kept
on looking neither to the right nor to the
left, trying not to think. trying still to
harden her heart, to remember only her
own sufterings and 70 forget those Of 9TH
erS.
lac 1a
crossing the roads and some fields, she
came in sight of the stile, and saw that
she was waited for. A man was leaning
on it with both arms and smoking. His
dark figure looked like blot on the spot
less scene around him.
She hurried on. 1t would soon be dusk.
The red fire in the west was dying out.
The man lifted himself up as she ap-
preached; and then she saw that it was
not Percival 1t was her husband. She
paused stupefed, and then her heart
stood still within her. What was he do.
ing there7 Had the Countess sent him to
separate her once more from
"Sibyl," cried Mark. in extreme sur
prise, "what in the world brings you here
so far from home. at this bourl You will
he frozen. child! You must have been
mad to come out on such day"
She did not answer; and he looked
startled at her disorled appearance, her
wind blown hair. her bare cold hands, and
the wild Ii"ht in her great eyes.
"Sibyl.' he urged anxiously, finging
away his cigar and leaping over the stile
to get to her side, "what is the matterf-
Is anything wrong at homel"
1.-THE Countess sent you l SUPPOSED" 81
byl said abruptly.
THE Countess2 Is she hcre7 No one
sent me, child. l am simply waiting for
Sir John, who has been detained by some
tenant with a grievance; but l viii take
you home at once. dear. They had no
business to let you leave the house"
at is too late" sibyl answered. 81 cam
not turn back now"
"Sibyl" He would have taken her
hands, but she pulled them away.
"Do you go home" she said, "and leave
me here"
"Sibyl, are you mad. childr
"No; but l know now how wicked I
have been all these five years. 1 would
undo il all if 1 could; but it is of no use
to try. When am gone perhaps you will
forgive me-
Mark looked at her amazed.
"What does this meant" he said hur-
riedly.
She put her hands up YEARLY to her